3Digest, June 2007

Monthly drivers report and popular 3D accelerators comparison

Monthy 3Digest is the project of iXBT.com and Digit-Life.com dedicated to informing you about the performance of a large number of graphics cards under Windows XP in the past month.

This issue is dedicated to drivers released from the 15th of May 2007 to the 15th of June 2007. Traditionally our 3Digest informs you about the best price/performance ratios available in the market. Another very important part of any issue is cards' 3D graphics quality shown on the example of a wide selection of games.

3.2. In this issue we used 160.02 drivers for NVIDIA summary charts,
7.5 drivers for all ATI X1xxx series and 7.6 drivers for HD 2xxx
series.

4. Summary diagrams of graphics cards performance with the latest
drivers for June 2007

All willing to see the complete results in Excel 2003 format can
download this RAR
3.0 or this ZIP
archive.

If you are familiar with 3D graphics, you will be able to draw all
the conclusions yourself after looking at the charts provided. Those
interested in our judgement of test results should see reviews dedicated
to specific GPUs (see our 3D
graphics section). And for newbies and those who has just started
choosing a graphics card we'll provide some more detailed explanations.

First of all, you should take a look at our brief references of
modern graphics card series and their respective GPUs. Note clock
rates, shader support and pipeline architecture.

Secondly, in our 3D graphics
section
all newbies can read about the basics of 3D (this knowledge will be
required anyway, because you'll surely try to adjust some game settings:
textures, lighting, etc.) Besides, newbies should read separate reviews
dedicated to new products. There are just two GPU vendors: ATI (recently
merged with AMD under its brand) and NVIDIA. Thus, all information
is generally separated in two parts.

If a particular card is not in the summary, i.e. its results
are either 0, or 1, it means the given benchmark hasn't work
or has worked incorrectly with this card.

The change of HD 2900 XT drivers to 7.6 resulted in an abrupt
performance drop in AA+AF modes in certain benchmarks. If you
are going to purchase such a card, please consider this.

If you imagine a line connecting ends of columns representing
test results on a chart, you can judge if a game is critical
to a card or a CPU. If this curve is "convex" and
many cards perform similarly, it means at this resolution and
under this load performance is bottlenecked by system resources,
not graphics card potential. If, vice versa, the curve is "concave"
and performance drops quickly as card potential reduces, it
means the game puts heavy load on graphics cards and depends
exclusively on their potential.

5. 3D accelerator ratings calculations for the end of the month

Calculations were based on gaming benchmark results as well as
the results from 3DMark06 new tests (ATI CATALYST 7.5/7.6, NVIDIA
ForceWare 160.02).

All willing to conduct their own rating calculations with own
values are invited to download this Excel XP table in RAR
3.0 or ZIP
format.

Only the HIGHEST resolution available in games was used to
calculate prospect ratings.

The usability rating indicates performance and features of
a card (numerator) related to its price (denominator).

According to your wishes, we separated ratings into
two groups: the first gathers all benchmarks, and the second contains
only the gaming tests without m3DMark05/06. Disbelieving the synthetic
tests, many think the second group is of higher importance.

Core2 Duo X6800 based testbed:

"Usability" Rating:

GAMING ONLY usability rating

#

Card

Usability rating

Prospect rating

Appr. price

01.

X1950 PRO 256MB, 580/1400

777

690

148

02.

8800 GTS 320MB, 512/1600

717

1043

334

03.

X1900 XT 256MB, 625/1450

688

787

204

04.

X1950 PRO 512MB, 575/1370

687

730

180

05.

8600 GT 256MB, 560/1560

658

588

134

06.

X1950 XT 512MB, 625/1800

640

870

257

07.

8500 GT 256MB, 600/1200

618

503

100

08.

X1650 PRO 256MB 590/1380

603

428

80

09.

HD 2900 XT 512MB, 750/1660

595

1146

463

10.

X1650 XT 256MB, 625/1540

586

549

134

11.

X1650 XT 256MB, 600/1400

581

527

125

12.

8800 GTS 640MB, 512/1600

573

1089

452

13.

8600 GTS 256MB, 720/2200

546

712

220

14.

EVGA 8800 GTX 768MB, 625/2000

543

1363

680

15.

HD 2600 PRO 256MB, 700/1400

531

582

150

16.

8800 GTX 768MB, 575/1800

521

1293

653

17.

X1300 XT 256MB 500/800

504

359

70

18.

HD 2400 XT 256MB, 700/1600

501

408

80

19.

8600 GTS 256MB, 675/2000

492

699

235

20.

8500 GT 256MB, 450/800

481

433

96

21.

8800 Ultra 768MB, 612/2160

479

1375

783

22.

X1950 XTX 512MB, 650/2000

457

880

371

23.

HD 2600 XT 256MB, 800/2200

450

625

200

24.

HD 2600 PRO 256MB, 600/828

429

485

130

25.

X1300 PRO 256MB, 600/800

410

299

60

26.

7600 GT 256MB, 560/1400

338

398

117

27.

8800 GTX SLI 2x768MB, 575/1800

333

1570

1306

28.

7600 GS 256MB, 400/800

314

325

85

29.

7900 GS 256MB, 450/1320

311

466

169

30.

7950 GT 256MB 600/1430

288

532

232

31.

7600 GS 512MB, 550/950

269

363

124

32.

7950 GT 512MB 550/1400

262

522

249

33.

X1300 256MB, 450/550

261

243

65

34.

BFG 7950GX2 2x512MB, 500/1200

170

634

519

35.

7950GX2 SLI 2x2x512MB, 500/1200

101

724

1038

GENERAL usability rating

#

Card

Usability rating

Prospect rating

Appr. price

01.

X1950 PRO 256MB, 580/1400

1874

1080

148

02.

8800 GTS 320MB, 512/1600

1804

1664

334

03.

X1950 PRO 512MB, 575/1370

1662

1148

180

04.

X1900 XT 256MB, 625/1450

1645

1225

204

05.

8600 GT 256MB, 560/1560

1634

935

134

06.

8500 GT 256MB, 600/1200

1582

813

100

07.

HD 2900 XT 512MB, 750/1660

1535

1861

463

08.

X1950 XT 512MB, 625/1800

1533

1362

257

09.

X1650 PRO 256MB 590/1380

1485

675

80

10.

8800 GTS 640MB, 512/1600

1433

1742

452

11.

HD 2600 PRO 256MB, 700/1400

1422

965

150

12.

X1650 XT 256MB, 625/1540

1413

860

134

13.

X1650 XT 256MB, 600/1400

1392

820

125

14.

EVGA 8800 GTX 768MB, 625/2000

1360

2178

680

15.

HD 2400 XT 256MB, 700/1600

1326

670

80

16.

8800 GTX 768MB, 575/1800

1304

2061

653

17.

8600 GTS 256MB, 720/2200

1290

1105

220

18.

X1300 XT 256MB 500/800

1229

563

70

19.

8500 GT 256MB, 450/800

1228

700

96

20.

8800 Ultra 768MB, 612/2160

1190

2184

783

21.

HD 2600 XT 256MB, 800/2200

1172

1022

200

22.

8600 GTS 256MB, 675/2000

1172

1089

235

23.

HD 2600 PRO 256MB, 600/828

1137

800

130

24.

X1950 XTX 512MB, 650/2000

1091

1370

371

25.

X1300 PRO 256MB, 600/800

991

465

60

26.

8800 GTX SLI 2x768MB, 575/1800

861

2543

1306

27.

7600 GT 256MB, 560/1400

750

596

117

28.

7600 GS 256MB, 400/800

693

487

85

29.

7900 GS 256MB, 450/1320

684

695

169

30.

7950 GT 256MB 600/1430

637

797

232

31.

X1300 256MB, 450/550

626

379

65

32.

7600 GS 512MB, 550/950

600

546

124

33.

7950 GT 512MB 550/1400

580

783

249

34.

BFG 7950GX2 2x512MB, 500/1200

390

966

519

35.

7950GX2 SLI 2x2x512MB, 500/1200

243

1135

1038

"Prospect" Rating:

GAMING ONLY prospect rating

#

Card

Usability rating

Prospect rating

Appr. price

01.

8800 GTX SLI 2x768MB, 575/1800

333

1570

1306

02.

8800 Ultra 768MB, 612/2160

479

1375

783

03.

EVGA 8800 GTX 768MB, 625/2000

543

1363

680

04.

8800 GTX 768MB, 575/1800

521

1293

653

05.

HD 2900 XT 512MB, 750/1660

595

1146

463

06.

8800 GTS 640MB, 512/1600

573

1089

452

07.

8800 GTS 320MB, 512/1600

717

1043

334

08.

X1950 XTX 512MB, 650/2000

457

880

371

09.

X1950 XT 512MB, 625/1800

640

870

257

10.

X1900 XT 256MB, 625/1450

688

787

204

11.

X1950 PRO 512MB, 575/1370

687

730

180

12.

7950GX2 SLI 2x2x512MB, 500/1200

101

724

1038

13.

8600 GTS 256MB, 720/2200

546

712

220

14.

8600 GTS 256MB, 675/2000

492

699

235

15.

X1950 PRO 256MB, 580/1400

777

690

148

16.

BFG 7950GX2 2x512MB, 500/1200

170

634

519

17.

HD 2600 XT 256MB, 800/2200

450

625

200

18.

8600 GT 256MB, 560/1560

658

588

134

19.

HD 2600 PRO 256MB, 700/1400

531

582

150

20.

X1650 XT 256MB, 625/1540

586

549

134

21.

7950 GT 256MB 600/1430

288

532

232

22.

X1650 XT 256MB, 600/1400

581

527

125

23.

7950 GT 512MB 550/1400

262

522

249

24.

8500 GT 256MB, 600/1200

618

503

100

25.

HD 2600 PRO 256MB, 600/828

429

485

130

26.

7900 GS 256MB, 450/1320

311

466

169

27.

8500 GT 256MB, 450/800

481

433

96

28.

X1650 PRO 256MB 590/1380

603

428

80

29.

HD 2400 XT 256MB, 700/1600

501

408

80

30.

7600 GT 256MB, 560/1400

338

398

117

31.

7600 GS 512MB, 550/950

269

363

124

32.

X1300 XT 256MB 500/800

504

359

70

33.

7600 GS 256MB, 400/800

314

325

85

34.

X1300 PRO 256MB, 600/800

410

299

60

35.

X1300 256MB, 450/550

261

243

65

GENERAL prospect rating

#

Card

Usability rating

Prospect rating

Appr. price

01.

8800 GTX SLI 2x768MB, 575/1800

861

2543

1306

02.

8800 Ultra 768MB, 612/2160

1190

2184

783

03.

EVGA 8800 GTX 768MB, 625/2000

1360

2178

680

04.

8800 GTX 768MB, 575/1800

1304

2061

653

05.

HD 2900 XT 512MB, 750/1660

1535

1861

463

06.

8800 GTS 640MB, 512/1600

1433

1742

452

07.

8800 GTS 320MB, 512/1600

1804

1664

334

08.

X1950 XTX 512MB, 650/2000

1091

1370

371

09.

X1950 XT 512MB, 625/1800

1533

1362

257

10.

X1900 XT 256MB, 625/1450

1645

1225

204

11.

X1950 PRO 512MB, 575/1370

1662

1148

180

12.

7950GX2 SLI 2x2x512MB, 500/1200

243

1135

1038

13.

8600 GTS 256MB, 720/2200

1290

1105

220

14.

8600 GTS 256MB, 675/2000

1172

1089

235

15.

X1950 PRO 256MB, 580/1400

1874

1080

148

16.

HD 2600 XT 256MB, 800/2200

1172

1022

200

17.

BFG 7950GX2 2x512MB, 500/1200

390

966

519

18.

HD 2600 PRO 256MB, 700/1400

1422

965

150

19.

8600 GT 256MB, 560/1560

1634

935

134

20.

X1650 XT 256MB, 625/1540

1413

860

134

21.

X1650 XT 256MB, 600/1400

1392

820

125

22.

8500 GT 256MB, 600/1200

1582

813

100

23.

HD 2600 PRO 256MB, 600/828

1137

800

130

24.

7950 GT 256MB 600/1430

637

797

232

25.

7950 GT 512MB 550/1400

580

783

249

26.

8500 GT 256MB, 450/800

1228

700

96

27.

7900 GS 256MB, 450/1320

684

695

169

28.

X1650 PRO 256MB 590/1380

1485

675

80

29.

HD 2400 XT 256MB, 700/1600

1326

670

80

30.

7600 GT 256MB, 560/1400

750

596

117

31.

X1300 XT 256MB 500/800

1229

563

70

32.

7600 GS 512MB, 550/950

600

546

124

33.

7600 GS 256MB, 400/800

693

487

85

34.

X1300 PRO 256MB, 600/800

991

465

60

35.

X1300 256MB, 450/550

626

379

65

Ingame quality

6. Games screenshot gallery

All test screenshots are compiled into a gallery where you can
qualify the work of a chosen videocard and compare it to the reference
images taken on ATI Radeon 9500. All shots were taken at the same
1024x768 resolution at the maximum quality. Screenshot
gallery